Watch-case spring



(No Model.)

W. H. FITZ GERALD & G. 0. SMITH.

.WATGH CASE SPRING.-

Patented Apr. 22,1884.

.bers.

Usrrnn STATES ATENI rrren.

VALTER H. FITZ GERALD AND GEORGE 0. SMITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WATCH-CASE SPRING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,123, dated April 22, 1834:.

Application filed August 6, 1883. (N0 model.)

T0 (6 whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,WVALTER H. FITZ GER- ALD and GEORGE 0. SMITH, both citizens of the United States, residing in Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in YVatch Case Springs, 'of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to springs for watchcases, commonly known as the catch and lift springs, the former being employed for engaging and holding closed the hinged front, and the latter for lifting or throwing open the hinged front after the spring catch has been released therefrom. A serious objection to these springs as heretofore constructed and applied has been their liability to breakage, and the inconvenience and expense attending their manufacture and adjustment in and to the watch-case. Such springs have usually been made large and heavy at one end, which is secured in and to the case, while the free end for lifting the front or for engaging and locking down the latter has been arranged to bear against the under side of the front where the spring is used as a lift-spring, and to engage the front where it is employed as a catchspring, which, as is well known, is operated to release the free edge of the hinged front by pushing in the stem. Such springs require time and labor to secure them to the casc,-and

when secured frequently break by reason of the severe strain to which they are subjected. A lift-spring for a watch-case has also been made in the form of a bow, with the lip or catch for engaging the front made at the mid die of the bow, and such spring has been arranged between the movement and the rim, with the ends of the spring that are provided with flanges secured between said two mem- This spring is, however, open to the objection that the ends of the spring being secured, the spring, when bent, is liable to become broken. In another instance, a hoopspring, as contradistinguished from a bowspring, has been provided for a watch-case, said hoop-spring being adapted to subserve the combined functions of a catch and a liftspring, for which said purpose the spring is divided to form two free ends, and provided at its middle with a catch for engaging the free edge of the lid, while the free ends of the spring are bent up so as to engage the lid near the point at which it is hinged; but a single spring for both of such purposes does not admit of the required readiness of operation, since, by reason of its free ends engaging the lid, the said ends cannot slide freely to allow the portion of the spring carrying the catch to be partially straightened out when the stem is pushed inwardly.

It is the object of our invention to obviate such objections, and to provide a watch case with an improved construction and arrangement of both catch and lift springs which shall be strong, durable, and efiicient, and at all times have a certainty of action. These objects we attain by means of the catch and lift springs constructed and applied to a watchcase in the manner hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a section taken through a watch-case on a plane coincident with the face or front thereof, and illustrates our improved spring. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the rim detached. Fig. 3 represents the catch-spring. Fig. 4 is a section taken transversely through the watch-case. Fig. 5 is a view of the lift-spring detached.

Referring by letter to the several figures of the drawings, in which like letters denote like parts, A indicates a hunting-watch case, which can be of any ordinary or suitable construction, that herein shown being mainly composed of the following members, namely: a center, B, provided with the usual pendant, through which the stem passes, a hinged front, 0, a back, D, and a bezel or cap, E, which latter is covered by the said back. The center is provided with an inner annular seat for an inner ring or rim, E, that is employed for'holding the movement, said rim being seated and secured within the center in any approved manner. The catch-spring F, employed for engaging and holding the front when the lat-- ter is closed, is arranged between the center and the rim, but is unattached to either, the inner annular groove, B, ofthe center constituting a seat in which the spring is arranged. This catch-spring is made bow-shaped, and provided at its middle portion with a lip or catch, F, for engaging the front when the latter is closed. This spring is arranged between the center and the rim with its ends, that are formed with slight reverse bends, hearing against the perimeter of the latter and the middle of its bowed portion normally bearing against the inner wall of the center. By forming the ends of this bow-spring with reverse bends at its ends, said ends will ride freely over the perimeter of the rim while the spring is straightening out or springing back from a partially straightened out position to its normal condition; and hence friction between the ends of the spring is lessened and the spring caused to work more readily than if the ends, in place of being rounded were left so as to have sharp edges or corners bearing against the rim. The stem G,that passes through the pendant, also passes through a perforation in the middle of the spring, and is provided with a shoulder, til, at apoint beyond the spring, so that when the stem is pushed inwardly said shoulder abutting against the spring shall tend to straighten out the bow, and thereby release the catch from the hinged front, while as soon as the stem is released the resiliency of the spring will restore it to its normal shape and force out the stem to its original position. The ends of the spring ride freely over the perimeter of the rim while the spring is being straightened out, or while it is in the act of springing from a partiallystraightened out condition to its normal bow shape; and hence it can be readily actuated by the stem for the purpose of releasing the catch from the free edge of the hinged front,- orit can be actuated by the front independently of the stem when the front is closed, so as to cause the catch to automatically engage, and thereby hold down the front.

It will be observed that when the stem is pushed in against the spring-pressure will be exerted laterally against the middle of a bowspring, and that by locating the catch at the said middle portion of the spring the result attained is in effect the combined power of two spring-arms, whereby, while the spring can be easily operated, the maximum of strength will be attained with a minimum of spring metal. Also, as the ends of the spring slide freely be tween the rim and the center, there will not be the same liability of the spring breaking as in those cases where the spring has its ends secured to the case. The stem can be employed in watches in which the stem is solely employed for ppcrating the catch sprin or in stem-winding watches in which the stemis employed both for operating the catclrspring and for winding up the watch.

The lift-spring H, which we employ for throwing open the hinged front, and which has heretofore been secured at one end in and to the center, is pivotally secured at a point between its ends to the perimeter of the rim that is fitted in the center, so that when the rim is seated and secured in the center said spring shall lie between the two members. By pivoting this spring at a point at or near its middle, a practically compound or twoarmed spring is employed, whereby the combined power of the two arms is attained, and hence an exceedingly strong spring produced. This spring has one of its ends provided with a bent lip, h, which bears against the hinged front at a point near the hinge of the latter, so that when the front is closed it shall depress this end of the spring. As such action will tend to turn the sprin about its pivot or fulcrum 71 and in order to hold the opposite end of the spring so as to attain the full spring action of both arms of the sprin we provide upon the perimeter of the rim a suitable abutment, against which one end of the spring shall bear while the opposite end thereof is subjected to the pressure of the hinged front.

As a simple and convenient form of abutment, we provide a stud, I, upon the rim, and form in said stud a notch in which one end of the spring is held when the opposite end thereof is subjected to the pressure or resistance of the hinged front. The arm or part h of the spring between the pivot and the stud is made tapering toward the end of the spring, and is preferably somewhat longer than the arm h", that is directly in contact with the front, whereby, when the latter portion is depressed, the tapering part of the spring between the pivot and the stud will be easily bent into bow-shape.

It will be seen that the spring is bent laterally from its edge instead of from its flat side, and that when the arm carrying the lip is bent down, the opposite arm, being checked at its free end by the stud, will be bent or bowed, so that the spring shall be capable of flexure at both sides of its pivot, and thereby be bent at said sides, so as to open the front when the latter is released. By giving a proper curve or bevel to the lip on the spring, the latter will, at its end carrying the lip, also be bent laterally from its flat side to some extent when the front is closed, and hence additional power be obtained, and at the same tiinethe spring rendered less liable of breakage. This spring will be bent to conform to the contour of the perimeter of the rim, so to lie closely upon the same, except at its end carrying the lip, which latter end will stand slightly out from the rim, in order to bring the lip into position to bear against the under side of the hinged front.

\Vhen the bow-shaped catch-spring is used in a watch-case without a rim, the spring could be made operative by applying it to the center and providing on said center any suitable bearings for the ends of the spring. Also, provision can be made for using the lift-spring in a watch-case without a rim. This can be accomplished by pivotally connecting the spring with the center and providing on the latter the abutment or some equivalent means for holding one end of the spring.

Having thus described our invention, what ICC we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patcut, is-

1. The combination, with a watch-case, of the bow-shaped catch-spring F, provided with a catch at its middle, and having its ends loosely resting against the rim between the rim and the center and free to slide over the perimeter of the rim while the spring is be ing operated, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a watch-case, of the bow-shaped catch-spring F, provided with a catch at its middle, and having its ends bent reversely to the main bend of the spring and loosely resting against the rim between the latter and the center, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in awatch-case having a hinged front, of the lift-spring H, located between the center and the rim, and pivoted at a point between its ends to the latter, and means for holding one end of the spring when the opposite end thereof is depressed by the hinged front, substantially as described.

rim being provided with a stud or abutment for holding one end of the spring when the opposite end thereof is depressed by the hinged front, whereby the spring shall be capable of fiexion at both sides of its pivot,.substantially as described.

WALTER H. FITZ GERALD. GEORGE 0. SMITH. Witnesses:

CHAS. G. PAGE, W. W. ELLIOTT. 

